Show Me the Way

Epilogue

"Okay," Bernard said. "Last time we'll be doing this if it works."

I nodded. I couldn't keep the grin off of my face. I'd gotten glimpses of sound, and it was exciting. If I was able to hear whenever I wanted to, I would be in the clouds.

"Ready?" he asked. I nodded again.

If it worked, I would learn to speak properly.

I would finally be able to hear my brother's voice. Ray's voice.

I would be able to hear Ray playing his guitar he loved so much.

And it would never have to stop.

Bernard flipped the little switch on his remote. The little whoosh of air that I always got for whatever reason happened, and then it was quiet.

"Can you hear me?" Bernard asked. I nodded, the smile on my face growing.

"Great," he said. "So guess this is goodbye for a little while." I nodded again.

I could hear, and it was amazing!

I had to hear Ray, and Gerard, and then Frank! They were all waiting outside for me.

"Mikey?" Gerard asked. I froze. Holy shit. My brother's voice. Nineteen years of my life I'd gone without hearing him.

And now... I finally was.

Something that I never thought was possible was happening to me right now.

"Mikes, what's wrong?" I turned to Ray. Holy shit. Ray...

"I think he's just not used to it, really," Frank said. I turned to face him. Oh my God.

Their voices...

Gerard drove us home, and I practically threw Ray's guitar at him.

"Play!" I signed. "Mikey, you gotta start speaking now," he teased. I rolled my eyes.

"You made it a year," I signed. "Now play for me." He sighed and took the pick from the strings, making the first sound I'd heard on a guitar.

It was beautiful.

And when he played?

I nearly cried.

I wanted to play an instrument with Ray one day.

~

"Mikey?" I turned around and found Ray standing there. I recognized his voice by now.

"Yeah?" I said. "What's up?"

He handed me a guitar pick. "You dropped this," he said.

"Well, it's not like I need it right now, is it?" I teased as I sat down on the bed. Ray rolled his eyes and ruffled my jet black hair. I reached over and did the same to his curls.

So satisfying.

"Just... come here," I said. Ray flopped down beside me and kissed me. I grinned. "I'm going to take this out for the night, okay?" I said. He nodded.

I fumbled around with the earpiece until it came off.

And then I was myself again.

It really wasn't a handicap. It was nothing to be ashamed of.

Besides, we all still signed at each other a lot.

It wasn't like it was a lost language between us. Sometimes my earpiece messed up.

And even without the earpiece, Ray and Gerard, and even Frank, they loved me all the same.

I set the earpiece down and rolled over to face Ray. "I love you," he signed. I did the same.

I was still me.

I hadn't changed.

My name is Michael James Way, and I am deaf.